Tere Bin - A Parallel Universe

Chapter Twenty Seven

Meerab was sitting on the sofa beside him, her fork absentmindedly circling the fruits on her plate for what felt like the hundredth time. The morning sun lazily streamed through the glass door in their living room, casting a warm glow across it. It was a Sunday morning and they had slept in so this meant that the elders had already done their breakfast so they enjoyed their meal alone.

Murtasim noticed her restless actions and sighed softly. He had hoped that by the end of the fourth month, she would get her appetite back but it seemed Meerab's discomfort was evident even in the simplest of activities. The absence of several foods such as eggs or any deli meats on the table was a testament to her morning sickness, which seemed to have taken a toll on her appetite.

With another deep breath, Murtasim couldn't help but let out another sigh and this was enough for his Jaan to get all worked up. "Can you please stop?" she snapped, her tone tinged with a hint of frustration.

He looked at her who placed her fork back on the plate and a tear escaped the corner of her eyes, trailing down her cheeks.

His heart sank as he saw her face. "Shit," he muttered under his breath, feeling a pang of guilt wash over him. He hadn't meant to upset her. Hastily, he set down his sandwich and turned towards her completely, his full attention on her with concern etched across his face.

He had managed to make her cry. Meerab did not know what had happened but she just felt like crying. She felt a rush of confusion and sadness and could not understand why she was suddenly on the verge of tears over something so trivial.

Ever since she became pregnant, her cravings and aversions seemed to change by the hour. Firstly she did not want to eat anything and all family members would fuss around her to ensure that she ate but she could not keep anything down and even if she tried, the number of times she threw up after made her so uncomfortable and tired.

She had been feeling the weight of his gaze for the past 15 minutes so she had reacted this way. She knew he was solely worried for her, but it was difficult to suppress her irritation. It wasn't her fault that she couldn't stomach anything more than a few bites. The sight of proper food made her stomach churn.

Of course, she felt hungry at times but as soon as she indulged in something sweet or savory depending on her mood, their precious little Meesam would decide that it would be the perfect moment for her mother to run to the bathroom and regret her decision of even eating something of her own choice. She had started to feel extremely hungry, especially during late night and some snacks like croissants and nuts came in handy.

The memory of past instances of nausea loomed over her, making her hesitant to eat anything substantial. Murtasim cursed himself inwardly. He hated seeing Meerab struggle, especially when it came to something as basic as eating and now he had managed to irritate her even more.

"Yar Meerab, I am sorry na, please mat ro," he pleaded, reaching out to grasp her hand gently. He could see how upset she was, and he knew he had pushed her too far. "Please," he added softly, his thumb and index finger lifting her chin to meet his gaze to his.

Meerab felt herself melting under his touch so she leaned into his embrace and rested her head against his chest. Murtasim engulfed her in the cocoon of his body, his hand going around her back as he leaned in and pressed a tender kiss to her hair murmuring an apology once again.

"It's okay, I don't even know why I am crying over such a small thing," Meerab murmured in response, her voice barely above a whisper.

He chuckled softly, understanding the rollercoaster of emotions that pregnancy hormones could bring. He held her close, his hand going back and forth running soothing circles around her back attempting to ease her mood in his comforting embrace.